When the hubby cooks something, yes it has to turn delicious. Today I have the recipe of stuffed bitter gourd or "bharwan karela" and it is prepared by my hubby. Yes! Believe me. He loves bitter gourd and he made this recipe so that I too start liking bitter gourd.
He got these special organic baby karelas and he even decided what to cook with them. He had planned the entire recipe when he bought the ingredients itself.
The recipe is a bit lengthy but if followed properly it will turn delicious. My hubby took all the pains to compose the recipe and send it to me. He is a very good cook and the main person who taught me to cook. I just helped him with the ingredients and with the chopping of onions and tomatoes. He even took my camera and clicked some pictures. Actually it was team work as both of us were involved in cooking the recipe. We both clicked pictures and hubby even tried doing some food styling. It is really nice to have similar passion.
My little one found this mortar-pestle and started grinding some masalas. She said that she too will help us by grinding the masalas. It was fun at home. I remember, in my childhood even I used to get fascinated by these toys. My little one too loves these toys. When she plays with them she makes her mini kitchen.
Guess what I loved the dish and I did not feel that the bitter gourd was bitter in taste. It was tangy, spicy and slightly bitter. But the flavors complemented well and the dish was a huge success. .. and who says that guys can't cook? They are the best chefs in the world. Indeed my hubby is one of them.
Also check this recipe of rava fried bitter gourd which was shared with my hubby last time when he had been to US. He made it there and shared it with me from there.
Ingredients:
4-6 small sized baby bitter gourds
1/2 cup edible vegetable oil
1 tbsp kasuri methi
2 large onions finely chopped
6 garlic cloves
3 large tomatoes finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 red chilies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Salt to taste
A pinch of tamarind (optional)
Procedure:
Wash the bitter gourds. Slice the tips on both the sides.
Slit them lengthwise leaving one cm from top and bottom ends. Make sure that the slit is shallow enough such that the two halves do not separate. With a spoon carefully remove the seeds.
Take couple of cups of water in a vessel. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to it. Mix to dissolve salt. Put the bittergourds in this salt water and boil. After the water starts boiling, keep it on a simmer till the gourds’ skin gets soft. Drain the water and allow them to cool down.
Heat the oil in a separate skillet/pan on a low flame. When oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds and coriander seeds.
After they splutter, add garlic and onion.
Stir fry until the onion turns golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till they become mushy.
Add the red chillies, turmeric powder and kasuri methi.
After some time, add tomato sauce. Keep stirring so that the mixture does not get stuck to the pan. Add salt to taste. After 2-3 minutes, turn off the flame and allow the pan to cool down.
Take the mixture into a mixer and grind it into a coarse paste. Do not add water while grinding. Add chili powder and salt if required.
Carefully, fill the bitter gourds’ with this paste through the slits. After this is done, tie a thread around the bitter gourds so that the paste does not come out.
In a frying pan, add 5 table spoons of oil. Add the gourds and shallow fry till the skin turns a little brown. Turn off the flame.
After the bitter gourds cool down, carefully remove the threads. Use the remaining paste as a gravy around the bitter gourds.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
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